{"id":49216,"date":"2016-04-22T07:15:52","date_gmt":"2016-04-22T11:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=49216"},"modified":"2021-05-14T04:29:11","modified_gmt":"2021-05-14T08:29:11","slug":"fitness-buddy-swole-mate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/fitness-buddy-swole-mate\/","title":{"rendered":"21 Signs You\u2019ve Found Your Fitness Buddy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s strength in numbers \u2014 literally. While a solo sweat session can be therapeutic and confidence-boosting, we can all get by with a little help from our friends. Whether you thrive in spin class<\/a>, at CrossFit<\/a>, on group runs or at the yoga studio, it\u2019s easier to feel motivated when you can look to your side and see a fitness buddy who can\u2019t stop, won\u2019t stop. (It\u2019s no secret that working out with a partner<\/a> or group of like-minded people has numerous benefits!) And if exercising at home<\/a> is more your speed, commiserating over burpees with your online BFFs can motivate you to push your limits.<\/p>\n

But what separates the good workout partners from the ride-or-die fitness besties that have your back, 100 percent of the time? Here are 21 signs you\u2019ve found your fitness soul mate \u2014 er, swolemate.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 20 Partner Exercises from the Fittest Couples on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

21 Signs You\u2019ve Found a True Fitness Buddy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. The time flies when you\u2019re sweating together.
\n<\/strong>Want to know how to make that HIIT workout<\/a> easier? You\u2019ll get a dose of healthy distraction when you\u2019ve got a buddy. Robyn Broker, blogger at Run Birdie Run<\/a>, forgoes her running playlists when she\u2019s got a friend to entertain her. \u201cA long run with a running BFF is a multi-hour conversation… Sometimes there\u2019s constant chatter and sometimes there\u2019s silence, but running completely transforms when it\u2019s in a shared space.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. You don\u2019t give in to each other\u2019s excuses.
\n<\/strong>It\u2019s easy to tell yourself you can\u2019t do another rep. It\u2019s harder to tell that to a friend. \u201cWhen I work out with my boyfriend, we push each other way out of our respective comfort zones,\u201d says Lauren Wolman, blogger at <\/span>Peanut Butter Is My Boyfriend<\/a>. \u201cWhether he\u2019s encouraging me to lift those 10 extra pounds or I\u2019m convincing him that doing seven minutes of planks is a <\/span>great<\/em> idea, it\u2019s not about competition or proving anything to each other. We\u2019re working together to push ourselves further.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> The 25 Craziest Workout Excuses Trainers Have Ever Heard<\/a><\/p>\n

3. You\u2019ll exercise together, even if you\u2019re at different fitness levels. <\/strong>
\nThink having different fitness levels is a swolemate deal breaker? Think again. NYC-based runner and physical therapist Abby Bales is 30 minutes slower than her 3:04 marathon<\/a> running buddy, but that doesn\u2019t stop them. \u201cMy friend has worked out with me through everything \u2014 when I had a colostomy bag, after surgeries, when I was pregnant and barely moving, post-partum, and with my son in a stroller,\u201d says Bales. \u201cShe never makes me feel like I\u2019m not worthy of her fitness company.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. You\u2019ll sacrifice sleep to meet up. <\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s tempting to hit the snooze button when you\u2019ve got a solo workout on tap. But if you know your friend is waiting for you, you\u2019re far less likely to bail. \u201cMy friend Nina is my accountabilibuddy,\u201d says blogger Tracy Davis<\/a>, who uses the term coined by her November Project workout group. Nina and Tracy made a pact to touch base at 5:45 a.m. to make sure they\u2019re both out of bed and ready to go for a run or to the gym.<\/p>\n

5. You\u2019ll help each other recover properly. <\/strong>
\nDavis\u2019s accountabilibuddy gives her the push she needs to keep her lower body foam rolled<\/a> and feeling good, too. \u201cShe stays on top of me to make sure I\u2019m doing my IT-band recovery work,\u201d says Davis of her fitness bestie. We all strive to #NeverMissaMonday<\/a>, but hey, sustainable workouts are the end goal, right?<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 7 Reasons to Never Miss a Monday Workout<\/a><\/p>\n

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Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6. You high five or fist bump on the reg.<\/strong>
\nYou don\u2019t have to pat your own back<\/a> when you\u2019re done sweating \u2014 your friend can do it for you. Even if it\u2019s a shaky-armed high-five between push-up sets or a quick fist bump after Tabata<\/a>, sometimes that classic, old-school form of encouragement is totally more validating than a push notification from your fitness tracker<\/a>.<\/p>\n

7. Their accomplishments are just as exciting as your own. <\/strong>
\nWhether it\u2019s a race, a CrossFit competition, or holding a five-minute plank<\/a>, training for your own goals is exciting, satisfying and empowering. Watching your fitness friend hit his or her goals, though? Equally if not more awesome. Runner Meggie Smith, blogger at The Thinks I Can Think<\/a>, was psyched to watch her friend Jocelyn get a marathon PR, and the support is always mutual. \u201cWhen I saw Jocelyn after I ran a Boston-Qualifying race, the first thing she said to me was, \u2018Of course you did! I knew you would!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

8. Things seem less scary when you\u2019re together. <\/strong>
\nWhile Meghan Conroy\u2019s workout bestie liked the front-row-center spot during spin class, 32-year-old Conroy, a senior research analyst in Los Angeles, preferred a less conspicuous seat. But Conroy eventually made her way to the front row. \u201cI became more brave and finally tried the front row because there were two of us, and there was safety in numbers,\u201d Conroy says. \u201cThat made it less scary.\u201d<\/p>\n

9. You look forward to your sweat dates, even after a long day.<\/strong>
\n\u201cBy the end of the workday, I\u2019m typically dragging and have zero motivation,\u201d says Conroy. But she can\u2019t turn down the opportunity to meet up with her fitness buddy. \u201cIf I made plans to meet my friend at the gym for a boxing class, I\u2019m going to show up. It gives me something to look forward to all day at the office.\u201d<\/p>\n

10. You share stuff that would be TMI to anybody else.
\n<\/strong>Bruised toes, chafing disasters, bathroom breaks gone wrong\u2026 you share it all and then some with your partner in crime. True sign of a swole mate? You\u2019re not above swapping blister photos to get advice on popping technique.<\/span><\/p>\n

11. And you know A LOT about each other, in general. <\/strong>
\nThere are things you tell your regular friends, and then there are things you only share with the person you always work out with. \u201cCertain things have become easier to talk about when you\u2019re working out with someone and [you\u2019ve] created a bond,\u201d says Lauren Lorow, the NYC community manager at Sweaty Betty, of her friend and former coworker. Whether it\u2019s complaining about bosses and coworkers or dishing about significant others, sweaty convos can get serious. \u201cWe literally talk about anything and everything,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

12. Fitness dates feel like grown-up playdates. <\/strong>
\nYou may not have lifted weights<\/a> or tried TRX as a toddler, but scheduling an activity with a BFF in tow can make you feel like a kid again. Kyra Rosow, 28-year-old NYC runner and marathoner, says meeting up with her old track teammate before work reminds her of their light-hearted, no-stress grade school days. \u201cIt brings back something that is so deeply important to me, and that\u2019s not a feeling I get from working out alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Photo: @toutesenbasket<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

13. You compulsively \u201clike\u201d each other\u2019s fitness status updates and photos.
\n<\/strong>First like. First comment. First one to compliment your awesome arm definition or stellar downward-facing dog. You know your fitness friend will never not<\/em> double tap your latest Instagram, especially if you\u2019ve posted a super sweaty selfie.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Need Running Motivation? 20 Epic \u2018Runspo\u201d Instagrams<\/a><\/p>\n

14. You\u2019ll push through the unthinkable for each other. <\/strong>
\nGood friends wake up early to meet for workouts. Swolemates<\/em> do that, and more. \u201cMy friend who wasn\u2019t training for a marathon promised to run 16 miles with me on a Sunday,\u201d says mom and marathoner Jen Correa<\/a>. After getting home at 5 a.m., the friend still showed up on time and ran the entire distance with Correa. \u201cNot to mention the fact that it was a steamy day in August. Now that\u2019s ride-or-die!\u201d<\/p>\n

15. Distance can\u2019t get between you and your workout partner. <\/strong>
\nLife happens: Your fitness buddy moves, changes jobs (and schedules), or isn\u2019t available for IRL workouts anymore. But you can still motivate each other from afar. \u201cPaul and I are both working full time, are in grad school, and live entire states away from each other,\u201d says 28-year-old ultramarathoner Liysa Mendels from NYC. Despite the distance, they keep in touch by sharing training plans, spreadsheets, links and videos.<\/p>\n

16. You\u2019d don\u2019t think twice about FaceTiming each other during workouts.<\/strong>
\nTechnology enables long-distance romance, and fitness friendship, too. Paul Leak, co-leader of November Project\u2019s<\/a> New York City chapter, FaceTimes with his out-of-town pal Danny during workouts. \u201cIt\u2019s fun to tell each other how fast we\u2019re running or how hard we\u2019re working \u2014 to try and one-up each other, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

17. A visit is never complete without a workout.<\/strong>
\nYou\u2019ll make it to brunch and the museums eventually. But first on the agenda: You absolutely must show each other your favorite local workout spots. Sneakers<\/a> and shorts are obviously packed in your suitcase when you\u2019re traveling to your pal\u2019s neck of the woods.<\/p>\n

RELATED<\/strong>: 9 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Running<\/a><\/p>\n

18. You start showing up to the gym dressed alike. Not on purpose. <\/strong>
\nThe dancing twins emoji has nothing on you and your bud. You know your friendship is serious when you start showing up to workouts in the exact. same. thing. \u201cWe don\u2019t plan it, but we\u2019re constantly showing up wearing the same outfit,\u201d says 25-year-old Susie Janik of her fit friend Maggie. \u201cWe\u2019re just on the same wavelength, about our workouts and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

19. You\u2019re there for each other for the good, bad, and downright disgusting. <\/strong>
\nBy the time she reached mile 24 of the Wineglass Marathon, blogger Abbe Baker<\/a> found herself with a shot at a personal record, but really having to pee. When Baker decided to run and just let it <\/em>run, her friend \u201clooked over at me and, without hesitation, hosed my backside down with her handheld water bottle,\u201d says Baker. Running a marathon together and<\/em> washing the urine off your legs? That\u2019s some serious BFF-dom.<\/p>\n

20. You\u2019ve memorized each other\u2019s post-workout snack order.<\/strong>
\n\u201cI always know Susie is going to get a scoop of mud pie in a sugar cone,\u201d says 22-year-old former ice skater and runner Maggie Beaton of her workout BFF. Having a post-workout date gives them a chance to catch up face-to-face, without push-ups. \u201cIf we\u2019re working out next to each other, we don\u2019t get to actually see each other!\u201d<\/p>\n

21. You\u2019ve actually never met.
\n<\/strong>So maybe you\u2019ve never met IRL, but no one would know based on your 24\/7 interactions on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Whether you share a love of running or dance cardio, or you follow the <\/span>same workout program online<\/a>, your daily messages make it feel like you\u2019re in this together.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What separates a good fitness buddy from a ride-or-die pal you can\u2019t live without? Here are the signs you\u2019ve got yourself a sweaty soul mate. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":77,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24,6],"tags":[313,187,103,108,341,343],"class_list":["post-49216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cardio","category-exercise","category-fitness","tag-daily-burn-365","tag-happiness","tag-motivation","tag-running","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/77"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49216\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}